Dietary intake studies indicate that many Americans are consuming significantly less than the RDA for magnesium. We strongly encourage all Americans to consume the RDA for magnesium. The optimal source for additional magnesium is hard water because water-borne magnesium is 30% more bio-available than magnesium in food or pill. We recommend that consumers who buy bottled beverages check the nutrition panel to see that each serving provides at least 5% of the RDA for magnesium. The FDA recommends that 8 servings of water be consumed each day.

A hundred years ago mineral water was popular in this country, but a misguided effort by public health agencies virtually eliminated the mineral water industry in this country, so that the magnesium content of American bottled waters is now only about 10% of the average magnesium content of bottled waters in the rest of the world. So far as we know, the only magnesium-rich waters bottled in the U.S. today are from the Adobe Springs and Mendocino Springs. We hope that other magnesium-rich water sources will be developed soon.

1. In his letter to me of Oct. 4, 1995, Dr. Vanderveen, Director of the Office of Plant and Dairy Foods and Beverages, wrote: We recognize that dietary intake studies indicate that many individuals are consuming significantly less than the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for magnesium. We strongly encourage all Americans to consume the current RDA of magnesium (ref: Petition 95P-0381/CP 1).

2. A list of the magnesium content of every major bottled water in the world is given at http://www.mgwater.com/waters.shtml From that list it is apparent that the mean magnesium content of American bottled waters is 2.7 mg/L, while the bottled waters in the rest of the world average 28 mg/L --- more than 10 times as much! In my letter to Dr. Vanderveen of Nov. 5, 1995, the point was made that apparently 379,000 Americans have died from magnesium deficiency since I notified Dr. Troxell of the problem in Jan. 1994 (ref: Petition 95P-0381/CP 1). The deaths from Mg-deficiency are continuing at about 590 per day. If American bottled water and water-based beverages were brought up to the average Mg content found in the bottled waters in the rest of the world, many of these lives could be saved.

3. American bottled waters have a 5.3% Share of Stomach for beverages, as referenced in the Beverage Industry Annual Manual submitted with Petition 95P-0353/CP 1. Multiplying 5.3% by 215,000 Mg-deficiency deaths per annum gives 11,395 deaths per annum. So about 11,395 deaths per annum could be prevented by switching to Mg-rich bottled water from Mg-poor bottled water. Even more lives could be saved if tap water consumers switched to Mg-rich bottled water, as tap water has a 20.2% share of stomach and contains an average of only 6.5 mg/L magnesium.